Saving the life of a burns patient at the burns scene

Written by Prince Assandoh-Mensah in 2015

June 3, 2015 was a black Wednesday. It was a day that would go down in history and in remembrance for all the bad reasons. Hundreds of human lives were burned in the midst of flood. It is one of the saddest moments Ghanaians would never like to remember for any reason. My deepest condolence to all Ghanaians!

However, even as we mourn our yesterday, it is imperative for us to preserve the left overs and prevent future occurrences. So far as the human race continue to use fire to meet some of its basic needs such as cooking, burns is something we can never for go; in our homes, workplace or as an unfortunate incidence.

How do we then manage burns or what are some of the emergency procedures we have to do to save a burns patient at the scene.

(Note that, Burns can be Thermal; fire, hot liquids, heat source etc.; chemicals or electrical, but our focus is on Thermal Burns)

1. Extinguish the flames

When one encounters a burning patient, the first thing to do is to extinguish the flame on the body. When clothes catch fire, the flames can be extinguished if the person falls to the floor or ground and rolls. (We use the strategy, “stop, drop, and roll”). Anything available to smother the flames, such as a blanket, rug, or coat, may also be used.

NB

• Standing still forces the person to breathe flames and smoke, and running fans the flames

• Cool the burn

After the flames are extinguished, the burned area and adherent clothing are soaked with cool water, briefly, to cool the wound and halt the burning process. Once a burn has been sustained, the application of cool water is the best first-aid measure.

NB

• Never apply ice directly to the burn orwrap the person in ice
• Never use cold soaks or dressings for longer than several minutes; such procedures may worsen the tissue damage and lead to hypothermia (low body temperature) in people with large burns.

• Remove restrictive objects.

If possible, remove clothing immediately. Adherent clothing must be left in place once cooled. Other clothing and all jewellery, including all piercings, should be removed to allow for assessment. This also prevents constriction due to the rapidly developing oedema associated with burns.

• Cover the wound.

The burn should be covered as quickly as possible to minimize bacterial contamination, to maintain body temperature, and decrease pain by preventing air from coming in contact with the injured surface. Sterile dressings are best, but any clean, dry cloth can be used as an emergency dressing.

NB

• Ointments, butter, oils, creams, etc should not  be used on blisters or open wounds.
• No medication or material should be applied to the burn wound

• Call for medical assistance or transport the patient to a nearby health facility.

Note the following

• A burnt patient should not be given anything by mouth.
• Do not burst blisters